[This article was published in the Golden Statements, Vol. 26, No. 6 (November/December 2003) in Black & White.  The article is republished on this web site for better appreciation of visual aspect of the art in color.]

 SUISEKI ART

Stone Appreciation in New Age with Mas Nakajima

 By Carl N Morimoto

 “Suiseki” is a natural stone appreciated for its expression of natural landscapes and other forms and which has a long history in Japan and early China.  Traditionally, the suiseki has been displayed in a daiza created to follow the contour of the stone base or in a suiban.  Nakajima, a member of the San Francisco Suiseki Kai since 1982 and a holder of an Art degree from San Francisco Art Institute, has been mixing his suiseki hobby with his artistic talents.  He likes to display his collection of suiseki in traditional suiseki settings as well as in different settings accentuating the visual impression and spiritual insights.  Some of Nakajima’s suiseki displays, reflecting a stone appreciation in New Age, were shown at San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival’s Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibits and at his one-man exhibit (January 7 - February 8, 2003) at the Triangle Gallery, San Francisco. Visit his web site at suisekiart.com.

(Click on each photo to see a larger size image.)

Masahiro Nakajima

 Displays of Nakajima’s suiseki, suiseki art, and paintings at Triangle Gallery, San Francisco (January, 2003)

 Suiseki Art “Challenger”, a natural white jade natural stone on redwood, displayed at Triangle Gallery, San Francisco in January 2003.

“Lovers” -- a natural Jasper stone on padouk board with painting “Sunrise” on bubinga.

“Suiseki Art in Memory of 9-11” -- Klamath River natural stone on Douglas Fir board (32”W x 13”D).  Board is carved and burned.

“Spring in Rocky Mountain” -- Board is 25”W x 17”D with an area  left in natural color.  Light white paint applied to resemble snow.  Melting snow is depicted with wood grain, paint, and saw scratch marks.

Eel River natural stone (8”W x 6”D x 4”H) shown with daiza.

Carved surface on the board to hold the stone in place.

 "Moonlight Fuji” Clear Creek cut stone (13”W x 7”D x 4”H) on traditional daiza.

 Clear Creek natural stone (12”W x 7”D x 4”H) with thin wooden daiza following the bottom surface of the stone, giving a fused look.

 Some of Nakajima’s newer suiseki arts inspirations  are shown with Klamath River natural stones here.  Top display was created from Douglas Fir board (32”W x 13”D).  The visual effects of rough waves on rocky shore was created by wood grains and carving.

Looking at Klamath River natural stone (6”W x 8”D x 12”H), inspired Nakajima to create this piece constructed with used lumber.  Form and artistic color balance presents harmony of stone and stand.

 Upper Eel River cut stone (18”W x 5”D x 5”H) on Redwood board (40”W x 24”D).  The surface of Redwood is scrubbed to show interesting wood grains resembling ocean wave.  Coloring on wood grain adds emphasis.  Hideko Metaxas with her expertise on seki-kazari arranged the above display “Dawn on Ocean Island” at the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, April 2002.

Clear Creek cut stone (10”W x 5”D x 4”H)  placed in the indentation created on the board.    This is a re-creation of display initially shown at the 2002 Cherry Blossom Festival where Nakajima’s suiseki art piece and Hideko Metaxas’s Japanese scroll were used together to form total effect in this
“Sunrise” display.

 Arishige Matsuura, President of Nippon Suiseki Association, and Hideko Metaxas at Nakajima’s studio. (October 2, 2002)